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Microdrones

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Integrated drone mapping systems for surveying and construction professionals.

Microdrones manufactures integrated UAV systems combining aerial LiDAR, photogrammetry, and software for geospatial professionals in surveying, construction, mining, oil and gas, and precision agriculture. Their systems include the mdLiDAR series, which produces georeferenced 3D point clouds for land surveying and site documentation. The MarketScale channel features real-world applications of drone-based mapping, covering workflow, accuracy standards, and field deployment for survey and engineering professionals.

100 episodesVisit website ↗
Channel Brief·Microdrones · 100 episodes
Updated Jan 24, 2023

Drone LiDAR transforms surveying from slow to fast.

Microdrones documents real surveying teams using drone LiDAR to cut mapping time, cut costs, and reach dangerous places. The proof is in the project stories and the people doing the work.

This channel argues that drone LiDAR is replacing GPS and traditional surveying methods because it cuts time in half, reaches unsafe or inaccessible terrain, and produces precise 3D data. The proof comes from documentary-style episodes showing actual surveyors and engineers—Caulfield & Wheeler, Tice Engineering, Morris P. Hebert, SWECO, and Spatial Data Consultants—deploying mdLiDAR systems to solve real problems: flood modeling on the Pearl River, marsh restoration in Louisiana, construction surveys in Florida, and historic mine mapping in Sweden.

Drawn from Down to Earth: Point Clouds to Paradise – Epis… and 6 more

LiDAR can reduce half a day's mapping time down to an hour for surveying and data processing.

Samuel Flick, Sales Manager for Central Europe, Microdrones

By the numbers

1 hour

LiDAR mapping vs. half day GPS survey

40 years

Caulfield & Wheeler in business serving Southeastern Florida

4,752 acres

Avenir sustainable community in Palm Beach Gardens with 3,900 homes

150 acres

Pearl River area surveyed by Tice Engineering for flood zones

What the channel argues

DataDrone LiDAR cuts traditional GPS survey time from half a day to one hour.
DataTice Engineering uses drone LiDAR, terrestrial scanning, and hydrographic scanning to survey 150 acres around the Pearl River for flood management.
DataCaulfield & Wheeler uses point cloud data to deliver cost-effective designs for Avenir's 4,752-acre sustainable community in Palm Beach Gardens.
InsightSpatial Data Consultants uses drone LiDAR as a more efficient replacement for total stations and photogrammetry in as-built surveys.
InsightmdGroup acquired GeoCue Group to strengthen leadership in high-end drone surveying technologies and LiDAR sensor manufacturing.

What you'll learn

LiDAR reduces survey time dramatically compared to GPS, making it viable for time-sensitive projects and difficult terrain.
Drone LiDAR works in combination with terrestrial and hydrographic scanning to map complex environments like river corridors and historic mines.
Point cloud deliverables enable civil engineers and planners to design more efficiently and cost-effectively for large developments.
Regulatory constraints like BVLOS restrictions limit drone deployment in the U.S., hindering innovation despite the technology's potential.

What to do about it

Evaluate LiDAR as a surveying method against traditional GPS for projects requiring speed, precision, or access to dangerous terrain.
Build internal infrastructure and team expertise before adopting drone technology to avoid common early-adopter pitfalls.
Use point cloud data from drone LiDAR in your design workflow to reduce rework and deliver more accurate as-built surveys.

Who and what shows up

Caulfield & Wheeler, Inc.

Civil engineering, planning, land surveying, and landscape architecture firm

40-year-old firm in Southeastern Florida using point clouds to deliver designs for Avenir's 4,752-acre Palm Beach development.

Tice Engineering

Engineering and surveying firm

Surveyed 150 acres around Pearl River in Jackson, Mississippi using drone LiDAR, terrestrial, and hydrographic scanning for flood zone mapping.

Ryan Tice

President of Tice Engineering

Led multi-modal scanning project for Mississippi D-O-T flood management and bridge scour inspection on the Pearl River.

Samuel Flick

Sales Manager for Central Europe, Microdrones

Quantified LiDAR's time savings, stating it cuts mapping time from half a day to one hour and addresses GPS precision limits.

Vivien Heriard Dubreuil

CEO of Microdrones

Negotiated GE partnership in 2021 to bring GE Industrial Drone Line to market globally through Microdrones.

Questions this channel answers

Q

How much faster is drone LiDAR than GPS surveying?

LiDAR can reduce a half-day GPS survey to one hour for mapping and data processing, dramatically cutting field time.

Propelling: Helping Businesses and Improving Survey Effi…
Q

What surveying tasks can drones reach that traditional methods cannot?

Drones can survey difficult or dangerous areas like river corridors, marshes, historic mines, and bridge scour zones under infrastructure where terrestrial access is unsafe or impossible.

Down to Earth: Land, Sea, and Air – Episode 3
Q

What technology replaces traditional surveying?

Drone LiDAR replaces total stations and digital photogrammetry for as-built surveys with higher accuracy and efficiency.

Using Drone LiDAR to Complete an As-Built Survey
Q

Why do regulations restrict drone use in the U.S.?

BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) flights are difficult or nearly impossible to execute under current U.S. regulations, despite their potential to transform business operations.

Unlocking BVLOS: Expanding Drone Use Cases to New Horizo…
Topics:Drone LiDAR surveying systemsAs-built and topographic surveysFlood zone and infrastructure inspectionPoint cloud data processingConstruction and civil engineering
Themes:Speed and precision over traditional methodsDocumentary proof through real surveying teamsIntegration of multiple scanning technologies

Industry context

Commercial drone surveying is gaining adoption because it significantly reduces data collection time and costs compared to traditional ground-based methods, while delivering sharper imagery and more precise spatial data.

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